"JACE, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry...," Elaine kept apologizing, her eyes teary while looking at my arm that is now bandaged with white bandage tape. My blood seeping through the fabric as I try moving my hand too much. The cut was not that deep but when the rest found out about what happened, they immediately send me to the hospital.

They were about to end the reunion party and come with me instead. I refused, I'm not the type of person to spoil a party, let alone annoy the entire hospital staff with the whole class waiting for the news of my condition. They'll crowd the waiting area for sure. So, I just had Gin, Rose, and Elaine wait for me.

I sighed when Elaine once again apologized. Even though I replied 'I'm fine' or 'It's not your fault' she just wouldn't stop, maybe she felt guilty.

"Could you tell me what happened instead?" I asked with a soft voice not wanting to sound like I was threatening, I'll respect her privacy if she doesn't want to tell me.

Gin and Rose tried calming Elaine down, her words are impossible to understand because of her uncontrolled sobs.

"I'm sorry...," Elaine finally said in a clear voice. "There was this hidden organization that a friend of mine recommended to me."

"Organization?" I asked, creasing my forehead.

She nodded, "This organization lend us money easily, unlike banks they doesn't need any background check or credit cards. I needed money to get this job that was offered to me on the states."

"But why are you here?" I got an idea why but I hope I wasn't right.

Elaine's lip quivered, with that I confirmed that what I'm thinking is right. I sighed. Elaine started crying once again burying her face with both of her hands.

"I was scammed. T-the money lenders kept on raising the interest in unfair amount that I don't even know if I could pay it back. Even my friend who talked to me about that organization never showed up."

I know that Elaine doesn't have the slightest idea but there is a high possiblity that this friend that she was talking about is part of that group.

"Loan sharks." I muttered that made Elaine stopped crying. I looked at her helplessly. "You've been dealing with a very dangerous organization, Elaine."

Her eyes and mouth are wide open with shock.

Rose gasped and Gin rubbed his forehead.

"This is bad..." Gin said.

We watched as Rose hugged Elaine to comfort her, her sobs are getting louder and we knew that we should go out. Well, it's not that I want to go out, it's that Gin suddenly asked me to go out. He said that he need to talk to me privately.

"What is it?" I asked.

Gin sighed as if something was weighting down his shoulders.

"Have you heard about the drop in our military army?"

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I shook my head not because I didn't heard of it.

I did heard about that but I found it hard to believe because we are one of the country that has the largest military count. We even undergo mandatory military training.

"What happened?" I curiously asked.

Gin leaned back on the wall behind him and started talking.

"I don't know what is the real reason why our soldiers was wiped out. Overall, there are three rumors. The others say that they are dispatched in Empious city, which is true and that the government have been protecting a hidden syndicate there and they are the one who killed them."

"That's alarming since we can't do anything about it." I commented.

"The second one is ridiculous, they said that the they exchanged our men with some secret war weapon because everyone is going crazy about the possiblity that another war can spark because of our feud with Neplus."

I almost laughed, who ever thought of that excuse sure haven't lied about why he hadn't done his history homework.

"And the third one?"

Gin looked like he was scared of even bringing that up but he proceed anyway.

"There is one soldier that got inside and pretended as a soldier. It is said that the mafia was involved here. They are the one who sent this person to learn the system and to have access of the weapons. Other than that during the raid at Empious, this soldier massacred all his comrades, no one survived. And the most terrifying and the strangest of all is that all of them died by a slash on the throat, some are even decapitated. Since then they called that soldier, the War Reaper."

I touched my head when I suddenly felt like it was spinning. I narrowed my eyes because other than the dizzy feeling, it started throbbing and somehow a flash of image played like a quick reminder. Bodies, blood, all over the place.

"Jace are you okay?" Gin asked concerned.

I blinker several times before I could brush off the image that I just saw.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." I said with a sigh as I pushed my head back to rest it at the wall.

Then I realized something. The reason he was telling me this story now is maybe because...

"Gin, don't tell me..."

Gin nodded, "Yeah, I just hope I am wrong. That does loan sharks are just a small fry and we are not dealing with something dangerous as what happened at Empious even though we're not sure if the mafia is involved." Gin said. Then he gazed at me intently. "And if I'm right...I can't imagine what's going to happen to us."

THAT night five men came rushing inside a five storey high building. They climbed up the floor of the top floor where godfather is waiting for tonights' money.

"B-boss!" The one who had the upper hand in the five person group exclaimed. "W-we didn't get the money! W-we were-- That person he--."

"Calm down." The old man, in his late 50's spun his swivel chair to face the subordinates who seem to be scared, if it's because of him or they've went through he doesn't know. "What is it that you guys are making a fuss about?"

This time it wasn't the leader who answered, but it was his men. "Someone attacked us. A young man--"

"Only a man?" The old man asked. " One man beat all of you?"

"Y-yes! We are not kidding! And he seem so skilled at what he was doing!" But then he stopped talking and started shaking like a frail leaf. "T-there was something in him..."

"What does that mean?" The old man became curious all of a sudden. He clamped his hands together and stared at them. "Tell me more."

Another replied with wide eyes.

"W-we're not sure of what we saw...I-I haven't seen anyone like that." His lips rattling with every word. "It felt out of this world. But we know for certain that he is not normal and that if we stayed there for a while longer, we'll be dead by now."

The old man tapped his finger on the table, with each sound of the nails hitting the table, their anxiety becoming more and more.

Tap, tap, tap.

And then he stopped. There was a smile on his face.

"Don't worry. I could take care of it."

From the dark corner of the room, there stood a man, quietly listening to the conversation. The five subordinates who just saw him trembled more violently. They are beginning to wonder that this man is almost the same as that person. Having this thick atmosphere as if he was pulling every bit of your soul.

"It's your turn." The old man said it like it was a treat to the man.

The man emerged from the dark, the shadows covering the half of his face. And when they looked at his eyes they averted their gaze. They knew how terrible it is to look at them. It is like a hallow and dead eyes.

"You know what to do." The old man smiled. "Kane."